Part 2: City Harvest Church (CHC), Pastor Kong Hee and the now S$50m Financial Irregularities

I will discuss Part 2 of the City Harvest Church (CHC) Saga, but for readers viewing this page for the first time, please visit Part 1.

For Part 1,City Harvest Church (CHC), Pastor Kong Hee and the now S$23m Financial Irregularities: http://heartlandsmack.blogspot.sg/2012/06/city-harvest-church-chc-pastor-kong-hee.html

Part 2 will be from here onward:

What has Happened After the Initial News Broke Out?

• (a) CHC's Financial Irregularities Increased from S$23m to S$50m and Executive Pastor Aries Zulkarnain tries to defend against such Negative Publicity
  

  

  Aries Zulkarnain

• (b) Details about how Kong Hee Invested the $ into Bogus Companies, which subsequently DIVERTED the funds to support Ho Yeow Sun (his wife's career)
  
  

Credits: Diva Asia

• (c) Details about how Kong Hee went from living in a 5 Room, S$127k HDB in Tampines just a few years ago, to now a S$9.3m SENTOSA COVE Bungalow !

Credits: Property Guru

• (d) Details about how vocal CHC members have been constantly protective of their Church Leaders

CHC Members

Before i move on, read the following paragraph about what Kong Hee & CHC is about...

"An old lady bought "healing stones" that are supposed to heal her eyesight. You know it is a scam, you warn her about it, even going to the extent of trying to get money back from the guy who sold it. But she says she feels her eyesight improve, and tells you not to be a busybody. Now you realize that person selling stones bought a bungalow at Sentosa from selling these stones to many people. " 

Indeed... many CHC members have been angry with the Media as they have been portraying Kong Hee in a negative light. Let me present the facts and analysis:

a) CHC's Financial Irregularities Increased from S$23m to S$50m and Executive Pastor Aries Zulkarnain tries to defend against such Negative Publicity

• City Harvest Church (CHC) Financial Irregularities have Increased from S$23m to S$50m
• This means that a larger sum of $ is now involved in the Probe
• Executive Pastor Aries Zulkarnain tries to defend/cool the situation by issuing a statement that the S$50m is still with CHC and that no Individual profited from it

Aries Zulkarnain: "The people currently in the news are our pastors and trusted staff and leaders who have always put God and CHC first. As a church we stand with them and I believe fully in their integrity. Pastor Kong is still our Senior Pastor."

My view: Currently it's a fight between CHC against the Media, Commercial Affairs Department & Public. This is an uphill task and the public has a negative sentiment towards CHC already. This was built over through the exorbitant spending by CHC over the years 

(b) Details about how Kong Hee Invested the $ into Bogus Companies, which subsequently DIVERTED the funds to support Ho Yeow Sun (his wife's career)

Credits: The New Paper

• Kong Hee used S$50m of the Church's Funds to invest in Bogus Companies. The $ was then transferred from the Bogus Companies to support Ho Yeow Sun's (crap) career 
  The 2 Bogus Companies involved are Xtron Production and PT The First National Glassware 
  
  
  Questions to Ask:
  (1) Why did CHC invest in a small company ? Why not invest in Singapore Government Bonds? Singapore Government Bonds are AAA rated (Best). Extremely Safe.
  
  
  (2) Why would CHC go through the trouble of investing in Bonds in companies with no track record / not even heard of ?
  
  
  (3) Did CHC even investigate if Xtron Production and PT The First National Glassware are legitimate or profitable ? 
  
  
   Outcome: For CHC to even consider invest in such Bogus Companies, there are 2 main purposes.
  - Confuse those checking the paper work to make the $ transfer seem legitimate
  - Money Laundering

(c) Details about how Kong Hee went from living in a 5 Room, S$127k HDB in Tampines just a few years ago, to now a S$9.3m SENTOSA COVE Bungalow !

1992: 5 Room HDB Flat in Tampines, S$127,000 

2010: Sold 5 Room HDB Flat in Tampines for S$420,000

2010: Bought Horizon Towers Condo Unit at River Valley, Cost Unknown

2010: Sold Horizon Towers Condo Unit at River Valley in the SAME YEAR

2010: Bought One Devonshire Condo Unit at River Valley for S$2.6m. Ho Yeow Sun was also renting a S$7.7m Bungalow at Hollywood Hills in USA for $28,000/month. WOW ? 

2012: Lives in a Sentosa Cove Bungalow worth S$9.3m. This Sentosa Cove Bungalow is co-owned by both Kong Hee and Wahju Hanafi. Something smells fishy here. 

Credits: Asia One. Wahju Hanafi (left) and Kong Hee (right)

 (d) Details about how vocal CHC members have been constantly protective of their Church Leaders 

• Many CHC members have been brain-washed by their Church Leaders to support the same people that scammed them right in front of their eyes. The majority of Humans are by nature herd followers (meaning they listen to others for instructions. This is also another reason why there are very few leaders and many followers)  
  
  
  • Some examples include: CHC members forming a human barricade to block the Media after Kong Hee left the court and others defending them from the Negative Publicity of the Media. 

    

    Credits: Yahoo News

    
    

    

    Credits: Straits Times

Concluding Statements:

• This entire CHC saga smells too much like a SCAM. Firstly, why would a Church buy Bonds in unknown companies ? Secondly, examining the lifestyle of the Church Founder (Kong Hee) will tell you that he is rather rich and that is rather impossible for his job as a Pastor in 10 years (1992 - 2012). Thirdly, the degree of brain wash is rather amazing. This really reminds me of the brain-wash in North Korea and Kong Il Sung, Kong Jong Il, and Kim Jon Un 
  
• Ultimate conclusion: Scam
  
  Let me know YOUR Views as well...

Kim Il Sung

Kim Jong Il

Kim Jong Un

Sexy Teen Yap Siew Ting Extorts over S$150,000 from Rich NTU Student Ng Yong Cheng

1.0 Facts of the Case:
Three Parties:

• Yap Siew Ting ("Sexy Yap"), Aged 17
  
• Alexander Soh Zhi Ren (Boyfriend of Yap Siew Ting), Aged 21
  
• Ng Yong Cheng (Victim), Aged 22, Rich Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Student. Son of Medical Doctor. Lives in Posh Condo in Choa Chu Kang.

Credits: Lianhe Wanbao

2.0 What Really Happened ?

• Yap Siew Ting ("Sexy Yap") met Ng Yong Cheng on an Online Chatroom, Alamak.com. Both Chatted and got to know each other.
  
• Yap Siew Ting subsequently chatted with him on Skype
  
• Yap Siew Ting persuaded him to take off his Clothes in exchange for her Telephone Number.
  
• Yap Siew Ting secretly Filmed the entire process (including his family jewels). She threatened to upload the video if Ng Yong Cheng did not transfer her $.
  
• In Total: More than 90 Fund Transfers were made Totalling S$150,000
  
• Feb 2012: Ng Yong Cheng reported the case to the police.

Credits: Lianhe Wanbao

3.0 Outcomes:

Credits: Facebook

• Ng Yong Cheng immortalised as a horny young brat
  Could this be him?: https://www.facebook.com/c.y.alex.ng
  
  
• Yap Siew Ting:
  (1) 24 Months Probation (no Jail Sentence)
  (2) 130 Hours Community Involvement
  (3) Has to be at home from 10pm to 6am daily (ironically, this should have been the time the offenses were committed)
  (4) Her mother signed a S$5000 agreement to ensure her GOOD behaviour
  

Quote of the Day: "S$150k for 24 Months Probation seems like a PRETTY GOOD DEAL"

Howard Shaw Pleads Guilty to Paid Sex with Underaged Girl

Profile:
Howard Shaw

• Former Singapore Environment Council Executive Director
• Currently Vice President of Halcyon Group
• Grandson of Shaw Organisation Founder (includes the Shaw Cinemas)
• Aged 41
• Among 48 Men charged with paid sex with underaged girl from Pimp Tang Boon Thiew at Hotel 81 Bencoolen
• Lawyer representing Mr Howard Shaw says it is an "honest and reasonable mistake" about the girl's age
• Next hearing: 31 July 2012

Profile:
Shaw Organisation

• Founded in 1924 by Runme Shaw & Run Run Shaw (the Shaw Brothers) in Singapore
• Runeme Shaw & Run Run Shaw - wealthy philanthropists in Asia, donated generously
• Run Run Shaw donated about HKD$100m (US$15m) after the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake in China
• Film Distribution & Movie Theater Chain
• Managed Single-Screen Cinemas till late 1980s
• Began building Cineplexes (multiple theaters in a complex)
• Built the Shaw House Complex at Orchard Road in late 1980s / early 1990s
• Presently has 7 Cinemas in Singapore, with 1 more upcoming at Punggol
  - Lido, Orchard
  - Bugis Junction
  - Lot 1 Shopping Mall, Choa Chu Kang
  - Century Square, Tampines
  - NEX, Serangoon
  - Balestier
  - JCube, Jurong East
  - Waterway Point, Punggol (to be completed in 2014)

Credits: ChannelNewsAsia

City Harvest Church (CHC), Pastor Kong Hee and the S$23m Financial Irregularities

Kong Hee
Born 23 August 1964, Aged 47
Degree in Computer Science from National University of Singapore (NUS)
Founder & Voluntary "Rock Star" Pastor of City Harvest Church (CHC), Married to Ho Yeow Sun, Pop Singer

Credits: Reuters

Ho Yeow Sun
Married to Kong Hee, Pop Singer who rubbed shoulders with the likes of Wyclef Jean, Diane Warren, The Underdogs, David Foster and Carole Bayer Sager.

Some say she only got that far because of Kong Hee sending stolen funds to further her career. Let's find out more below.

Credits: Wire Image

City Harvest Church (CHC) -  a MEGAchurch. The numbers speak for itself - there are an average of 23,000 members attending Sunday service in Dec 2010. Looking back, City Harvest really means Harvesting from the City People. How Appropriate :)

Timeline of Events:

While ChannelNewsAsia published the brief timeline to what happened to Pastor Kong Hee and his "Inner Circle", let's take a look at the controversies that took place prior to this scandal. 

Credits: ChannelNewsAsia

• 1989: City Harvest Church (CHC) founded.


• 1993: City Harvest Church (CHC) registered as a charity.
  
  
• 2001: CHC builts a TITANIUM-clad Church Complex in Jurong West for S$48m.

• 2002: Kong Hee & Ho Yeow Sun embarks on "Crossover Project" to reach out to non Christians through the use of Ho Yeow Sun's pop music.
  
  
• 2003: Ho Yeow Sun bursts into the Pop Music scene. Criticized for skimpy dressing. 

• 2003: CHC member accuses CHC of using members' donations to fund Ho Yeow Sun's career. That individual was forced to make a public apology in the newspapers for that accusation.

• 2005: Ho Yeow Sun claims to have been a victim of sexual abuse. Some believe it was to hype up the launch of her album "Embrace".

• 2005: Kong Hee & Ho Yeow Sun launch Skin Couture - a high end luxury fashion store. Some wonder where they got the pool of money from.
  
  
• 2007: Ho Yeow Sun launches 5 albums to date and some were very hot, prompting many to suggests that her popularity was "bought" through the rigorous promotion of her albums during CHC's church service.
  



Credits: Youtube

• 2007: Ho Yeow Sun moves to USA to further her career, taking her son Dayan Kong along.
  
  
• 2008: Ho Yeow Sun donates 500 tents to Sichuan Earthquake victims in China.


• April 2010: CHC invests S$310m into Suntec after considering 26 plots of land based on their size, price, facilities and location. They found Suntec suitable to house 10,000-15,000 members. Following this news release, members of the public were outraged by CHC's wealth.

• May 2010: Commissioner of Charities (COC) receives complaints about the the misuse of charity funds by City Harvest Church (CHC). COC informs Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) on the need to investigate the suspected financial irregularities. Kong Hee, Ho Yeow Sun and his right hand men are grilled by the CAD.
  
  
• June 2010: "You Give until your Heart is Broken" famous quote by Kong Hee.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8AqyEPkX3A 

• June 2010: Ho Yeow Sun reported by The New Paper to have rented a swanky US$20,000/month house in Hollywood Hills worth S$7.7m. Lived there with her relatives, son, and assistant. A Mercedes Benz CLK550 was also spotted driving in and out of her rented house. Hollywood Superstars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt also live near that area. 

• June 2012: After almost 2 years of investigation by CAD, 5 people will be charged in court.
  Kong Hee (Pastor & Founder of CHC)
  Tan Ye Peng (VP of CHC Management Board)
  Lam Leng Hung (Member of CHC Management Board)
  Chew Eng Han (Director of AMAC Capital Partners & Investment Manager of CHC)
  Sharon Tan (Finance Manager of CHC)


• June 2012: Kong Hee tweets to his followers: "Tough day ... I trust in You, Lord Jesus ... Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done!"

• Charities in Singapore have been mired in controversy. They include the golden taps by TT Durai of NKF and Monk Yi Ming of Ren Ci Charity. The quote of the day would be: "You can fake some people some of the time, You can lie to some people most of the time, BUT You cannot CHEAT people all of the time".

Credits: The New Paper

Credits: The New Paper

Credits: City Harvest Church